Electric lantern



Jan. 31, 1939. J, s P|X| EY 245,631

ELECTRIC LANTERN Filed Oct. 25, 1957 HINHIM Patented Jian.. gli., lt@

spear N. Y., a corporation Manufacturing Company, New York,

or New York Application Uctober 25, 1937, Serial No. 170,72@

4l Claims.

This invention relates to electric lighting devices and especially to lanterns useful in railway signalling.

Such devices are subjected to very rough usage in all sorts of weather and it is of the utmost importance that they shall be in operable condition at all times.

Oil lanterns have been used for many years but are dirty, dangerous, odorous and not reliable. In spite of these defects they have been used almost exclusively because no more suitable electric lantern has been available.

It is the object of this invention to provide a safe and practical electrical device which is superior to oil and other known electric lanterns.

Special objects are:

1. To provide a rugged and reliable lantern.

2. To provide a structure in which the electrical parts are entirely enclosed so as to avoid the possibility of exposed sparks.

3. To provide an electric lantern in which no sparks can escape in case of a broken bulb.

4. To provide a lantern which is practically weatherproof.

5. To provide a. construction which can be commercially made with separable and renewa ble parts.

6. To provide two or more bulbs which can be interchangeably used.

7. To provide a. magnifying lens for duplex bulbs.

8. To provide a lantern with which the light may be directed either toward or from the bail.

9. To provide a lantern which can be stood on either end.

10. To provide a simple and inexpensive switch.

l1. To provide a lantern which can be conveniently used as a table lamp.

The accompanying drawing shows the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig 1 is a side view of a lantern embodying one form of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan view but omitting the handle or bail, the lens being shown in broken lines.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View of the upper part of the lantern.

Fig. 4 is a view of the cover looking upwardly with the bottom plate removed.

Fig. 5 is a view of the bottom plate oi the cover looking upwardly.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail plan view ofthe bottom plate.

Fig. '7 is a detail section of a latch.

As the device is intended primarily as a self sufficient lighting unit it has a casing consisting (Cl. 24U-ML2) of the body part it and the cover il designed to removably contain a battery l2 which may be of any suitable type either of wet or dry cell type and having one or mo-re cells as is common. The casing may be of any suitable material such as aluminum for lightness and sufficient strength and non-corrosive character.

The two parts of the casing have interlocking lugs I3 and Hi which permit the cover to be readily attached and detached by a partial rotation. Preferably 'the cover is provided with a ange or skirt l5 which overlaps the upper edge of the body of the casing so as to keep out water. A rubber or other resilient gasket l5' may also be provided to ensure complete exclusion of water or gas. A spring latch I6 is also preferably provided to prevent accidental removal of the cover. This latch may be released by pressure of the thumb so as to permit the cover to bey turned and removed.

Preferably two or more lamp bulbs such as il, I1 of conventional type are provided so that one may be held in reserve while the other is in use. These bulbs are mounted in a socket I8 which may be made `of insulating material and provided with screw seats for the usual screw-based bulbs. This socket is carried by a plate-like sup` port I9 which is mounted to lmove in the chamber 20 of the cover, the socket part projecting into the slot 2l in the cover. In the form shown the carrier I9 is pivoted on the shaft 22 which extends through the cover and has a handle or finger piece 23 at the outer edge by means of which the carrier can be moved. A spring 2i carried by the cover presses against the edge of the carrier I9 to hold it in' the desired position. Preferably a number of notches 25 are provided in the edge of the carrier to receive a part of the spring 24 so as to frictionally hold the carrier I9 either in its central position with one bulb on each side of the center of the cover or in a position with either one of the bulbs in the center or axis of the cover and casing.

The switch is designed so that when the bulb carrier is in the first mentioned position the4 current is rolf and when the carrier is in either one of the latter positions one of the bulbs will be lighted. The edges of the carrier I9 preferably extend laterally of the socket I8 so as to close the ends of the slotv 2l.

Each bulb has the usual center terminal 26 and the usual outer or shell terminal 21. A leaf spring 28 is provided for each lamp bulb. One end of each such spring is in a position tobe engaged by the shell terminal of a bulb when it held without danger of breakage.

lis screwed into its socket so as to afford elecnumber of screws 30. To the bottom of 'this disc is secured a center contact 3| which engages the usual spring terminal 32 of the battery when the cover is in place. An outer contact 33 is also secured to the bottom of the disc 29 to engage the outer springvterminal 34 of the battery. This contact 33 is preferably of arcuate form and may extend completely around the central contact so as to ensure electrical connection with the spring strip terminal 34 regardless of the position in which the battery is inserted in the casing and regardless of the angle to which the cover may be adjusted on the casing.

On the upper face of the disc 29 are secured two spring contacts 35. and 36 which are riveted respectively to the lower contacts 3| and 33 and located in positions to be engaged by the center terminal 26 of a bulb and the outer end of a spring contact 28 which is engaged by the shell terminal 21 of the same bulb.

When the cover is in place and the carrier I9 is moved so as to bring the center terminal 26 of a bulb into engagement with the contact on the disc 29 the filament will light up as the circuit will be closed through 35, 3|, 32, I2, 34, 33, 36, 28 to bulb terminal 21. By moving the carrier so as to disengage the center terminal 26 from the contact 35 the circuit will be broken and the light extinguished. Obviously either of the bulbs maybe lighted or extinguished as above set forth. It is thus possible by simply pressing the linger piece 23 to one side or the other to immediately substitute a fresh bulb in case one burns out.

vOver the bulbs is provided a lens 40 preferably of the magnifying type. This is centered by a rib or flange 4| on the cover. A number of lugs 42 are secured to the cover around its periphery and adapted to interlock with lugs 43 which project outwardly around the edge oi' the lens. These lugs are preferably somewhat inclined or wedge-shaped so that as the lens is applied and turned the wedge-like action will draw the lens snugly in place against the resilient gasket 44. This gasket is preferably inserted in a groove 45 around the base of the flange 4| so as to ensure a water and gas tight joint.

By using lugs 42 which are somewhat resilient and a resilient gasket 44 the lens may be snugly The axis of the lensis coincident with the axis of the cover so that when the switch is operated to bring a bulb into the battery circuit as above described the lighted bulb filament will be brought into the axis of the lens and a maximum illuminating effect will be produced.

A handle or bail preferably covered with insulating material is provided when the device is to be used as alantern in the usual manner. This handle is hinged at 5| and may be frictionally held by washers 52 and 53 or in any other suitable manner, for instance by a latch (not shown).

I may also provide a wire or other suitable frame 54 carried by the cover and which constitutes a guard to prevent breaking the lens and also to constitute a support when it is desired to invert the lantern. l

It will be understood that this lantern may be used with the lamp bulbs up or down as may be by the lens against the entrance of water.

desired since the bulb sockets are fully protected In fact the entire lantern may be immersed in water without short circuiting or other damage. As all of the electrical parts being entirely enclosed there is no danger of sparks igniting gas even if a bulb should burst or the switch cause arcing inside the casing.

The importance of protection against the escape of sparks is very great as it is frequently necessary to use lanterns at wrecks and around refining plants and tank cars loaded with infiammable materials where explosive vapors or compounds may be found. Open names or sparks frequently cause res and explosions.

'I'his lantern lends itself to handy use by car checkers at night. It has long been customary to hook one arm through the bail and rest the lantern on the forearm leaving the other hand free for writing. When oil lanterns are used oil frequently drips or leaks. My new lantern is free from this difliculty. 'Ihis lantern is especially useful by flagmen and on the rear end of passenger trains when the lantern is frequently left unattended for long periods and must be kept constantly lighted. It will add to the comforts of passengers since it eliminates odorous smoke which often issues from oil lanterns.

With this construction we may employ a lens of clear glass or of any of the standard solid colors approved for railway signalling. These may be used interchangeably. Means may be provided for automatically opening the circuit in case of the breaking of the lens as an additional safety precaution. i

I claimf 1. An electric lantern comprising a casing for containing a battery and having a cover detachably secured to the casing, a lens carried by the cover, a bulb carrier mounted in the cover and movable transversely of the axis of the lens and having a number of sockets movable alternately into and out of the axis of the lens and switching means carried by the cover and removable therewith for connecting the battery to the bulb which is in the axis of the lens and disconnecting the battery from the bulb which is not in the axis of the lens.

2. A lantern having a receptacle for a battery, a cover detachably secured to the receptacle, a transverse insulating disc secured to the under side of the cover and having. on its lower side an inner contact for a battery and an outer arcuate contact for a battery, inner and outer spring contacts carried by the upper side of the disc connected respectively to the inner and outer battery contacts, a lamp carrier pivoted to the cover between the disc and the upper part o1' the cover with its pivotal axis vertical so vthat the carrier may swing substantially parallel with the general plane of the cover disc, a number of lamp bulbs carriedby the carrier, a semispherical lens carried by said cover and enclosing said bulbs, the terminals of said lamp bulbs being adapted to be electrically connected to the inner and outer spring contacts as the carrier is swung from one position to another to bring the respective bulbs into alinement with the axis of the lens.

3. A lantern including a battery receptacle with a detachable cover having a chamber formed by a top portion and a detachable bottom plate, battery contacts carried by the bottom of the bottom plate, inner and outer lamp contacts carried by the top of the bottomplate, the top portion having a slot, a lamp bulb socket carrier pivoted at one side of the cover and adapted to swing in said chamber between the bottom plate and the top portion, outer lamp-bulb shell engaglng terminals carried by said carrier for alternately engaging the outer lamp contacts on the bottom plate, the center lamp bulb terminals of the bulbs in the socket carrier being adapted to alternately engage the inner lamp contact on the top of the bottom plate as the carrier is swung i from one position to another.

i. A lantern having a receptacle for a battery, a cover detachably secured to the receptacle and having a slotted top portion and a transverse insulating disc spaced therefrom forming a chamber therebetween, inner and outer battery contacts on the lower side of said disc, inner and outer spring contacts on the upper side of the disc connected respectively to the inner and outer battery contacts, a plate pivoted to the cover and movable in said'chamber over the under surface of the top portion, spaced lamp bulb sockets `formed on the plate and having portions extending through said slot for guiding the movement of the plate, a 'contact on the under surface of said plate adjacent each socket and being adapted to engage the outer battery contacts on the upper surface of the disc, said sockets being so positioned relative to the plate and disc contacts that the terminals of the bulbs are adapted to be electrically connected to the inner and outer spring contacts as the plate is swung from one position to another.

JUDSON S. PIXLEY. 

